LAST UPDATE | 16 hrs ago

A LEGAL CHALLENGE to a decision by secretary of State Chris Bryant to halt an Orange Order parade in Co Armagh has been adjourned to Monday.

An emergency sitting of the High Court in Belfast was convened on Saturday afternoon following the intervention by Bryant to ban the contentious march route following an almost two-week stand-off.

Bryant told the Press Association on Friday night it had not been possible to find accommodation between the Orange Order and nationalist residents of the Garvaghy Road in Portadown.

On Saturday, Lady Justice Denise McBride said she appreciated it is an important case, and while she believes it has urgency, it was “not an emergency”.

She also noted that significant material was outstanding in the case, and urged the parties to continue working across the rest of the weekend.

She adjourned the hearing to Monday.

The Court of Appeal is set to deliver a judgment on a separate legal challenge by Garvaghy Road residents against a decision by the Parades Commission to allow an Orange parade along the road for the first time in almost 30 years.

The Orange Order’s legal representatives have applied for an emergency judicial review against the decision.

Speaking after the hearing, loyalist activist Jamie Bryson said they welcomed that the urgency of the matter had been accepted.

“Very importantly Lady Justice McBride made clear that if the court on Monday, or Tuesday or Wednesday next week quashes the Secretary of State’s decision the legal determination comes back to life, and the Portadown District will be back on that hill ready to walk the Garvaghy Road,” he said.

Bryant intervened on Friday night to ban the contentious march following an almost two-week stand-off.

The Orange Order accused Bryant of a “capitulation to the threat of mob rule and violence” following his decision to ban the parade.

In a statement shared on social media shortly after 1am this morning, the organisation expressed “profound disappointment” at the decision, which brought an end to a 13-day stand-off between Orangemen and nationalist residents in Portadown.

The Order said it would seek urgent meetings with Bryant and PSNI chief Constable Jon Boutcher in the coming days “where their decision-making and actions in this matter will be robustly challenged.”

“The Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland notes with profound disappointment the decision of the Secretary of State to overrule the legally established rights of Portadown District Orange Lodge No. 1,” the statement said.

“This unprecedented action, and the abdication of responsibility by the Chief Constable, can be seen as nothing more than a capitulation to the threat of mob rule and violence.”

The organisation claimed that members of the Orange Order in Portadown had complied with the law and exercised restraint throughout the dispute.

“In stark contrast, the Brethren of Portadown have complied with the rule of law, exercised restraint and maintained a dignified and resolute stand in the face of intimidation and intolerance,” it said.

The statement also accused opponents of the parade of showing no tolerance or respect towards those of an Orange heritage.

However, the organisation urged its members to remain lawful and avoid escalating tensions.

A PSNI vehicle pictured near Drumcree Church. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

“We commend the Brethren of Portadown for their resolute stand and reinforce their message that this is a time for responsibility and lawfulness,” it said.

“We cannot undermine our cause by adopting the illegal and offensive actions of our opponents.”

Parade ban

The statement follows Bryant’s announcement on Friday evening that the controversial Orange Order parade would not be permitted to proceed along the mainly nationalist Garvaghy Road.

The Parades Commission had ruled two weeks ago that the march could go ahead with restrictions, overturning a position that had stood for 28 years.

However, the procession did not take place on 27 September because of a large protest by residents and their supporters, who argued that allowing the march would be intimidating and risk reopening divisions associated with the Troubles.

The resulting stand-off continued for 13 days, with efforts to reach an agreement between the two sides proving unsuccessful.

Bryant announced his decision after receiving a request from Boutcher to review the Parades Commission’s original determination.

The chief constable advised that facilitating the parade route would require a major police intervention carrying an unacceptable risk of serious injury, disorder and wider unrest across Northern Ireland.

Bryant said the circumstances under which the original decision was made had “changed considerably”.

“As a result, the procession cannot go ahead as it was determined,” he said.

He also called for protests, rallies and demonstrations to be stood down, warning against any further escalation of tensions.

‘Enormous sense of relief’

The decision was welcomed by representatives of the Garvaghy Road community and Northern Ireland First Minister Michelle O’Neill.

Breandán Mac Cionnaith of the Garvaghy Road Residents Coalition said preventing the parade from proceeding along the road was the only “sensible, reasonable and logical outcome”.

However, he said the decision was not a cause for celebration.

“While this is a win for us tonight, it is one that is tinged with sadness and with loss,” Mac Cionnaith said.

“We have said to people here tonight there is no real cause for celebration and we have to remember the price that was paid to get this decision over many years.”

Breandan MacCionnaith of the Garvaghy Road Residents Coalition said rerouting parade away from the road was the only “sensible, reasonable and logical outcome” https://t.co/mtEC19dFux

— Rebecca Black (@RBlackPA) October 9, 2026

Mac Cionnaith added that the decision should mark a “starting point” for rebuilding strained community relations in Portadown.

O’Neill also welcomed the announcement, describing it as “very positive” and praising residents for showing “remarkable strength and dignity” throughout the dispute.

“There will be an enormous sense of relief right across that community today,” she said.

“The people of the Garvaghy Road now deserve the opportunity to get on with their lives, free from sectarianism and intimidation and fear.”

Speaking on RTÉ’s The Late Late Show last night, O’Neill said banning the parade was “the right decision”, but argued that Bryant could have intervened sooner.

“We said from day one, the Secretary of State could step in. He could have stopped this nonsense. He could have put an end to it. But unfortunately, he chose not to until the eleventh hour,” she told presenter Patrick Kielty.

She said the last fortnight had been a “rollercoaster” for residents and their supporters.

“We need to have mutual respect across our society,” she said, adding that Orange culture should have a place in the future of Northern Ireland.

The First Minister also confirmed on Friday that she had received a letter inviting her to a PSNI interview over her attendance at the Garvaghy Road protest.

She said she would cooperate fully with police, but stood over her decision to support residents.

Meanwhile, DUP leader Gavin Robinson criticised Bryant’s intervention, describing it as a consequence of “republican agitation, mobilisation and the looming threats of potential violence”.

He claimed the decision had undermined the rule of law and called on the Secretary of State to explain how confidence in the parading process would be restored.

Bryant has defended his intervention on public safety grounds, saying it was important to avoid a return to the violence associated with Drumcree in the 1990s.

“I think it’s really important that we have calm heads now,” he said on Friday.

“It’s always easy to stir up a sectarian grievance, much more difficult to calm it down.”

Additional reporting from Press Association